Saturday, April 4, 2009

Fresh Start





Had to post a follow-up to last night's musings. Rough rest of the night, sort of. Rough in that I couldn't fall asleep until past 2am. Sort of in that I prayed throughout the night and listened to hymns, all as oh-so-gently guided by the God Whose very name is Love. Climbed out of bed around 10am with a heart sweetly refreshed and comforted. Looked at the results of the watercolor splashings done just before bedtime and was surprised all over again.



Surprised because last night, I'd been happy I responded to the urge to do SOMETHING artistic to combat the blues, but disappointed that the watercolor hadn't turned out as I'd hoped. Surprised because evidently I had forgotten how much watercolor changes as it dries. REALLY surprised that I forgot this element, since that has always been part of that medium's appeal for me--that the artist can do her part in laying on the colors and choosing what paper or other surface and how much water to use and when, but that the colors and water and surface make the final decision as they dry and integrate with each other. This morning I saw lovely shadings and subtle variations where, last night, only puddles had rested. I was also delighted to find the picture I'd painted AFTER splashing on the journal pages--which I'd painted because it felt so good I just couldn't stop.


So, as tears dried throughout the night, so did the watercolors. This morning I could scratch out my thoughts on top this loveliness and be reminded all over again that I AM an artist. God made me that way. God has equipped me with all I need to express myself, in words and colors, in thoughts and actions. Heartdeep thanks to my Creator, and to my daughter for sharing, a few days earlier, her efforts to turn to the play with and production of art when she needs to shake herself loose from inertia.

5 comments:

Phoenyx Ravenswing said...

Greetings!

Glad to read it ended out well! :-)

Btw, read your essay about journaling - so kyool! :-) I've never quite gotten the hang of it myself, so it was really neat to read the words of someone for whom it is as necessary as breathing. :-)

Thnx for sharing both! :-)
-Bird, from TST

sharon said...

The pages are LOVELY! It is a perfect example of BIV--blue, indigo, violet! Maybe this could become a nightly occurrence--painting pages for the next day's journaling??

aquamaureen said...

Bird--good to hear from you. Glad you hopped over to read my piece on journaling. It's funny--I don't remember ever deciding, "Gee, I think I'll start journaling." But when I look back, I can remember writing while pregnant with my last child (Amanda/Persisten Green), and she'll be 25 this year, and I've journalled all those years . . . for most of the time, it was a way to sort out all the wildness in my head and heart . . . TST has been a WONDERFUL way to do some of the same thing, only without words(mostly). Thanks again for stopping by. I LOVE hearing from readers.

Sharon--thanks for your comments--as much as I have enjoyed writing on those watercolored pages, it never occurred to me to do it more often, until you suggested it!!! Aren't sisters wonderful?

Sarah said...

I love how your pages turned out!

Jenjen @GottaLoveMom said...

Hi Maureen,
The pages are lovely - thank you for sharing..
I love what you did for this week's TST .
See you again next week,
Jenjen